Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to travel to Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria, saying prayers can also be answered within the country.
Makinde spoke on Thursday during the APM’s South-East town hall meeting in Enugu. He urged Nigerian leaders to combine prayers with honesty about the country’s challenges.
Reacting to reports of Tinubu’s planned pilgrimage, the Oyo State governor said Nigerians could remain at home and pray for the country and its leaders.
“I was reading on social media last night and into this morning that our President is travelling to Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria.
“Well, prayers can also be answered here in Nigeria. Please, we will remain here, pray for our country and pray for our leaders because Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.
Makinde added that leaders should stop deceiving citizens and provide an honest account of the country’s situation.
He said prayers would be more meaningful if leaders also told Nigerians the truth about the challenges facing the nation.
Makinde Sets November 4 for APM Manifesto
The APM candidate also announced that the party would unveil its manifesto on November 4, 2026, after completing town hall engagements across the six geopolitical zones.
He said the party planned to spend the weekend finalising the document. The process would include concerns and expectations raised by Nigerians during the meetings.
Makinde explained that the APM wanted citizens’ contributions to shape its policies rather than develop proposals without public consultation.
He said the manifesto would address issues raised during visits to the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-South, South-West and South-East.
The Makinde Tinubu trip debate also came alongside the candidate’s presentation of the APM’s proposed national development agenda.
He identified the economy, security, education and the socio-political environment as the four main areas of his proposed reset agenda.
Makinde said restoring public trust through sincerity and accountability would be essential. He also urged Nigerians to reject religious and ethnic divisions, noting that the country’s problems affected people across different backgrounds.
APM Promises Skills Training for One Million Youths
Makinde promised to prioritise youth employment, entrepreneurship and skills development if elected.
He disclosed that the APM had partnered with Skill Reset Nigeria to train one million young Nigerians in skills that could improve their employment opportunities.
The governor also acknowledged the perception that the South-East strongly supports Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said the APM had visited the region to present its proposals and allow residents to consider the party’s message.
“While others are distributing money to buy support, we are winning hearts,” Makinde said.
He urged supporters to protect their Permanent Voter Cards and prepare to vote in the 2027 elections.
On the economy, Makinde questioned the Federal Government’s continued borrowing despite claims of strong foreign reserves and increased tax revenue.
He argued that high interest rates and limited access to long-term financing were affecting manufacturers and businesses seeking to expand.
The APM candidate promised to create a business-friendly environment that would encourage entrepreneurship and widen economic opportunities.
He also said Nigeria needed to move away from an economy that depends heavily on sharing federal allocations.
APM Chairman Asks Tinubu to Withdraw from 2027 Race
The APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, also addressed the gathering, expressing concern about the country’s economic and security situation.
Dantalle identified unreliable electricity, transportation difficulties and insecurity as major obstacles to economic growth.
He argued that a productive private sector and reliable energy supply were essential for a successful economy.
The party chairman also said rising international petroleum prices should benefit Nigeria as an oil-producing country rather than worsen the hardship facing citizens.
He linked conventional crime, banditry, kidnapping and the Boko Haram insurgency to deeper socioeconomic problems. He therefore called for action to address the conditions contributing to insecurity.
Dantalle directly appealed to Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential election and support Makinde.
He argued that such a move would allow the Oyo governor to complete what he described as the remaining four years of the Southern presidential term.
Dantalle recalled that Makinde supported Tinubu during the 2023 election before calling on the President to back a different political direction.
“Today, we are calling on President Tinubu to support a new direction and step aside by withdrawing from the 2027 race to allow Makinde to complete the remaining four years of the Southern presidential term. This is the right thing for President Tinubu to do,” he said.
Daura Says APM Has 16-Point Agenda
The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said Nigeria needed leaders prepared to confront hunger, deprivation, insecurity and other difficulties affecting citizens.
He warned that democracy could not thrive where politics was militarised and security became politicised.
Daura said he and Makinde intended to reform the system and address the country’s challenges.
“We are not actors, nor are we here to experiment with the future of our country. We are resetters here to reform the system and make it work for the people,” he said.
He added that the APM’s 16-point agenda would provide a broad response to Nigeria’s problems.
Daura stressed the need for selfless, patriotic and competent leadership that could deliver lasting benefits to present and future generations.